Numerical analysis of a microelectromechanical system-based color filtering device with surface plasmon resonance modulation

In this study, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based color filtering device comprising a silicon-on-insulator MEMS, an elastomer, and an array of metallic nanostructures with adjustable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modulation was proposed. The MEMS stretched the elastomer suspended above it, which modified the arrangement of the metallic nanostructures on the elastomer. Consequently, the SPR could be tuned under various MEMS operating conditions using a single fundamental design. An optimized hybrid MEMS-elastomer configuration was obtained with a maximum strain of 35.91% through evaluations done with three parameters in the MEMS and three parameters in the elastomer. The SPR modulation was demonstrated using an example involving color filtering and switching among the three primary colors in the visible range. In addition to design optimization, the asymmetrical strain distribution in the elastomer and its influence on SPR modulation were studied through comprehensive simulations and analyses.